Quick: does the Netherlands have a royal family? If so, do they exercise any real power? Do the royals live in Amsterdam, the nation’s capital city, or in the Hague, where the Dutch democratically-elected legislature meets to discuss issues of national importance? Continue reading
Category Archives: The Netherlands
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Oude Kerk and the Birth of Amsterdam
Amsterdam has a rebellious reputation. The Red Light District and legalized marijuana may have put the city on the well-trodden backpacking route, but an authentic diversity and tolerance make Amsterdam more of a “people’s city” than most other western European Continue reading
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Amsterdam: A City in Photographs
What better way to share with you all my sojourn to Amsterdam than with a photo gallery? After all, the capital of the Netherlands has the reputation for being one of Europe’s most photogenic cities while also retaining its grittier side and hard edge. March 2016 marked my first visit to the Continue reading
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Seven Can’t-Miss Amsterdam Attractions
We all know that Amsterdam is famous for three reasons: Anne Frank, marijuana, and legalized sex work. The city, therefore, has earned a reputation as a haven for collegiate partiers from all over Europe and North America. While Amsterdam undoubtedly Continue reading
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Begijnhof, Amsterdam’s Quietest Corner
Amsterdam is a maddening city. Pedestrians have to be on the constant lookout for cars, trams, skateboarders, buses, and, of course, bicycles. The smell of marijuana, cigarettes, booze, and other such vices fill the air at all hours. In short, Amsterdam is a city for Continue reading
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Rembrandt House Museum: An Artist Reimagined
Situated in the heart of Amsterdam, the Rembrandt House Museum is one of the city’s intellectual gems that gets overshadowed by other artsy powerhouses, like the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum. And while I’d recommend the Continue reading
